Strengthening Bonds
by Trey178
Summary: Set after ch. 451 in the manga so make sure you're caught up. Konoha is shaken when a mysterious ninja attacks Danzo. He will return soon, promising the removal of one individual, but who?
1. Prologue: Boy Meets Girl

**Can you believe it, can you receive it? Why am I quoting techno music? Has hell frozen over, because I finally have something new for all of you readers. As promised here is the first installment of Strengthening Bonds v2. Over 7000 words, all to set the scene for what I hope will be an epic story. For those who remember the announcement I put in v1, you can disregard it. I have since reworked the plot many times over to what I now have planned. **

**I have labeled this as a NaruHina story because I want to focus more on them rather than my OC. I also want to take this moment to give a big shout out to **_Leaf Ranger_ **who was my greatest inspiration for finally getting this baby off the ground**. **Now, without further ado, let us begin...**

_**

* * *

Prologue: Boy and Girl**_

_**9 years before the Cataclysm**_

Some people have asked the question, where the hell do these D-Ranked missions come from? Maybe from a villager who has been incapacitated and needs help, or a noble who just can't seem to keep her cat where it should be. But, every ninja from genin and up will tell you that a good 90% of all those "missions" come from the towns that surround the village itself. Take Konohagakure for example. Deep within the surrounding forest is a quaint place known as Hayashi Town, named after the forest itself. While many requests have sprouted from this secluded community, very few shinobi, both ally and enemy, have actually seen it and as a result, the people who reside 'among the trees' live a very casual lifestyle. If one were to listen closely enough, they could hear the laughter of children flitter amongst the branches, much like the type when a group of kids play hide and seek.

"Ready or not here I come!" This was his cue to scram and fast. Though he was far enough out of site of his pursuer, he still had to find somewhere to hide. Left and right, back and forth, he started to panic when he heard him getting closer. That's when his back hit the outside of a rather large tree. The boy looked up and saw it was low enough to the ground, while having dozens of leaves for cover. When the voice rang out again, he turned around and jumped with enough power to reach a good limb about 15 feet off the ground, about 12-13 feet higher than the 4 year old boy who had scaled the height in a matter of seconds.

He stifled his giggles at knowing that when he used this trick to hide himself, he was never found until he was the only one left. He remained completely still as one by one the other hiders were picked off. He knew the other kids would moan and groan at his secret ability to disappear but he considered it an advantage above everyone else. Seconds later he heard the quiet noise of someone running by the tree. Taking that as his other cue, he jumped out, but saw no one.

Hearing another noise behind him, he spins his head and just notices another kid running up the wooded hill behind him. Thinking it was someone from the game he yelled "You went too far I'm over here stupid!" What the figure did next confused him because it started running faster. Taken aback by the sudden behavior, combined with his natural curiosity he starts to follow whoever was scaling the hill.

XxXxXxXx

She did not have a very good day. Actually, she rarely had a good day. But, every time she tried to think about it, it only hurt more. Her little legs had taken her pretty far from her home, but she didn't care. No matter what happened she had to get away. "You went too far I'm over here stupid!" Oh no, she had been found. Instantly her pace quickened as much as it could. Going uphill was difficult though but she didn't care, she had to get away, farther away where she'd be safe.

She turned her head to get a glimpse of who was chasing her but it didn't allow her to see the tree root sticking out of the ground. As her foot was stopped she let out and 'eep' as she fell over. Plus, she felt her right leg scrape against something hard as she tumbled onto her side. Looking down she saw an open cut on the side of her heel and would've cried out if the strange voice hadn't yelled "Wait up!" Ignoring her injury she continued to run upward. Every foot fall sends jolts up her lower leg, begging her to stop and rest, but she didn't relent. Not until the ground evened out when she reached the top of the hill.

She fell down again, unable to take much more pain than what she had felt already, but that voice was still getting louder. With her last bit of strength she crawled to a nearby boulder, half buried and big enough to hide someone as small as her. Holding her leg as she forced against her tiny frame she waited. Her labored breathing being the only thing she could hear. After a while she was sure she had lost whoever was chasing her. The plum painted locks on her head fell forward as her head hit her knees. Lost in her own world she could not be harmed anymore by anyone, but became unaware to what had really happened around her.

"Why are you crying girl?" Her head snaps into attention at the voice which was closer than she remembered, before her was a little boy probably no older than she was. His dirty blonde hair fell around his head a little above his eyebrows. The curious expression plastered on his bright blue eyes betrays her expectations. She half expected him to be somewhat mad considering she had been trying to avoid him for the last…who knows how long it was. "Stop following me" she retorted rather bluntly.

"What kind of answer is that?"

"The obvious one and I was not crying now go away stupid." Though he didn't know why, but this girl was slowly starting to get on his nerves. After all he saw her running through the woods for no reason and decided to follow her. The next thing he knew she was against the rock like she was trying to disappear completely. All he wanted was to know why, couldn't she understand that much? He decided to get a better look at the strange creature before him and moved closer. The girl almost fell over when she turned and saw him right in her face. A small embarrassed flush appeared on her cheeks which once again irked the young boy's curiosity. Slowly he advanced his extended finger until it just touched her cheek. "Your face is all red and kinda hot, you sure you weren't crying?"

"I said leave me alone!" She smacked away his hand and got back to her feet. But, she wouldn't get very far before she fell back down on her knees. Seeing this odd reaction, Takuyo finally looked down at her feet and gasped when he saw a red smear on her ankle. Ever being the good boy he decided to let her know "AAAAAAAAAAH YOUR BLEEDING!" as if she wasn't already humiliated enough for one day. But she didn't try moving again lest she feel more pain so now she was stuck with herself and a clumsy boy who didn't know when to take a hint. When she lifted her head again she was greeted by the sight of his back as he had crouched down in front of her. "Get on silly" was all he said.

"Why should I listen to you?"

"Do you want to sit here and try to wish it away or do you really want to get better?" This boy was now working on _her_ last nerve. Did he even know the meaning of the word 'stop' or is he just being an even bigger idiot by ignoring her pleas? Nevertheless, she couldn't say he was wrong about her leg so she crawled up and put her short arms over his shoulders while he grabbed her thighs. Lifting himself up he finally started moving back down the hill. Now the girl finally saw how far she had actually run. It was a longer hill than she realized and she was thankful that she didn't run her head into a tree. Though, she was a little anxious that her carrier might suffer something similar. "Better watch your step or you could end up hitting that empty head."

"I've been up and down this hill like 10 times so watch it girly or I just might drop you on your butt."

"What did you call me you stupid idiot?!"

"Takuyo"

"What?"

"My name is Takuyo" was his response. She made to retort but then she noticed that they were already out of the woods and back in town. How did he get here so fast? Furthermore where were they? "You must be from the western side of town girl" she could only gasp in surprise. "Are your reading my mind?"

"Hey do I look like a psycho to you……why are you looking at me like that?"

"I think you mean psychic, idiot." Takuyo sweat dropped at her comment but turned his mind back to the task at hand, helping the girl on his back. First thing was to get through the market then it would be easy from there. As the scores of faces flew by, few paid the young ones any attention at all. They mostly figured they were just playing some new kind of game. Kids could be so creative. "You never answered my question; do you even know where you're going?"

"Of course I do silly."

"But my house is the other way."

"I know, now let me think." Think, about what exactly? His face seemed to look back and forth and back again as if he was searching for something flying overhead. Next, he stuck a finger in his mouth then held it up in the air. Was he trying to call a ferry? They were nowhere near water. "What the heck are you doing?"

"Reading the wind, say, how fast have you gone before?" The girl's face paled slightly at his question. She was unsure of whether to answer or let nature take its course and see what he means. "I d-don't understand…"

"Hang on tight girl I'm kicking into turbo speed."

"T-turbo speed, what do you meeAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" The only witnesses to her screaming were the birds, bugs, and few people that happened to be going along the same trail as Takuyo sped down the dirt road. The girl could only cling harder to him so as not to fall off. Yet, almost as soon as he accelerated, he started slowing down. In a matter of seconds they had come to a full stop leaving the little girl shaking like, well, a leaf. "You can open your eyes now silly, we're here…*sniff sniff*…and it's lunchtime too, I'm hungry." Slowly her lids lifted, and then they shot open. Before them was an open field the likes of which she had never seen before. The grass was long enough to come up just below Takuyo's shin, leaving it long enough for it to seem like an ocean when the wind lapped against the tiny blades.

At last, in the near distance, she saw their destination. A cozy house planted right in the middle of the vast open space. Takuyo started running again, albeit this time at a normal pace, towards the door where food awaited him, and probably his passenger. Finally stepping inside, he turned and placed her down on a small bench by the door leaving his hands free to remove his shoes. "Wait here, I'll be right back" and he dashed into the next room. The little girl took the time to observe where she had been abruptly taken too. It was a simple room, a set of stairs leading to a second floor, and a hallway leading into the other rooms on this floor. Her eyes fell on the wall in front of her and she quickly inhaled. There were two pictures, one on top of the other, of three people. Given the background of each she assumed one was taken this past Christmas while the other was taken outside.

But, what sold her was that she immediately recognized the little boy centered in the images as the crazy, random boy she had just met not 30 minutes ago. She quickly assumed that the two adults on either side of him were his…parents. Her body seemed to shiver at the thought of such a prospect and she suddenly wished she was back in her room. "She's on the bench by the door mommy, please you gotta help her!"

"Alright Takuyo you don't have to push me." The melodious tone of that second voice could only come from an adult woman. The girl looked up and once again saw the now familiar face of Takuyo along with the woman in the pictures. Given his rather loud cry from before, this was no doubt his mother. She seemed apprehensive as the woman kneeled down by her leg. A small reflex kicked in as her soft fingers touched the bottom of her foot. "It's okay little one, I won't hurt you." She looked into her face, her short dark hair just reaching below her neck and those bright maroon eyes, and she was suddenly calm. The prospect was both relieving and scary at the same time to her young mind. Catching a hint of green her eyes moved to her foot as she saw the woman's hand glowing in the same color as it touched her wound.

Meanwhile she heard another sound coming from somewhere else in the house and noticed Takuyo press himself against the wall under the stairs. As he slid into the shadow she had a new set of questions to his behavior until another voice filled the air "I'm home Saya."

"I'm in the hallway Roshi dear." The girl soon deduced that this Roshi was the third person from the photos, Takuyo's father. Looking back to Takuyo's position she somehow understood what he was about to do. She quickly hoped that the woman would finish whatever she was doing and soon, before the man made his way further in. But it was too late as a tall, and armored figure stepped into the room. She only caught his blood red hair and beard before there was a loud cry echoing off the walls "BANZAI!!!"

"Too slow little boy." The girl was left breathless as she saw the man's arm extend and grab Takuyo's shoulder and maneuver him under his arm. The man's free hand formed a fist as he directed it to the little boy's head. Scared beyond belief she turned to the woman who was watching the scene with an amused smirk on her face, while still keeping her hand on her leg. Before she could even squeak the man's hand had already moved. Shutting her eyes she waited for the inevitable…laughter? "You are strong young one, but you are no match for my _**Noogie no Jutsu!!!**_"

"HAHAHAHAHA Okay daddy put me down! Put me down daddy please!" Roshi complied as he loosened his grip on his son, who was still giggling as he sat down on the floor. The girl couldn't believe her ears, let alone her eyes. She had expected to hear him cry out in pain when the man started hitting his head. But neither was the case as Takuyo got back to his feet so Roshi could talk to him. "You're getting better my boy, had I not felt you scuttling about when I first entered, I would not have sensed you till you jumped me."

"It still wasn't fair you knew where I was before you got here."

"Now Takuyo, remember a good ninja…"

"…is always on alert, I know dad. But you'll mess up sometime then I'll be the one giving the noogies!" The man chuckled as he ruffled the boy's hair, commenting on his determination. The girl was absolutely speechless. Never before had she seen such friendliness between such people before. Then again, she couldn't remember the last time she had been out of the house so the world outside was strange to her. She felt her heart skip a couple beats Saya broke her from her trance. "There, I'm all done." She shot her head down toward her foot. Her eyes widened when she saw no trace of the blood ridden cut that was there just moments ago. "You should be able to stand, there was no major damage" so she did. Amazed at not feeling any pain she brushed the dirt off her navy kimono. The man cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention towards him. He looked down at the young girl and cocked a brow inquisitively. "Just who is this young lady?" the tall man sternly asked

"Roshi, your son seems to have made a new friend today" Saya added with a smile

"Really now, well a friend of my son is a friend to this family any day!" The man resumed his laughter as he ruffled her hair. The girl was once again breathless, she had to be dreaming. Convinced, she started slapping herself but was stopped when Roshi got a grip on her wrists. "Now don't do that, Saya just finished healing your foot. Please don't force her to do the same with your face alright?" She could only nod as she seemed incapable of any other movement. It didn't stop her stomach though. "Well now I think a certain little girl is hungry" he said with a soft pat on her tummy.

"Don't worry I can set up an extra place at the table."

"YES! Thank you mommy!"

"You're welcome Takuyo, now go get cleaned up your face is dirty."

XxXxXxXx

She ended up spending near 3 hours in their company after which she expressly wished to be taken home. The whole afternoon was easily the weirdest moment of her short life. Never before had she seen such a group of people so…so…she didn't even have a word to describe it all. Then again she was only 4 years old, her vocabulary was shoddy. Even now, as the young boy held her hand as they followed Roshi down the street she couldn't form a coherent sentence outside of directions back to her house. In the span of less than 10 hours she had run up a very large hill, injured her leg, met a total stranger, went to said stranger's house, got her leg healed, and had a very decent meal. What would her father say? Before she knew it, they had stopped again, this time in front of a much smaller house and one she knew all too well. "This is your house, but it's so small."

"Don't be rude son just remember that we've been very lucky in life." Roshi responded. The little girl just looked down, embarrassed and a little sad. The boy was right her home was very small, probably smaller than they knew. But that wasn't the worst of it. "I just remembered young lady we never got your name." She looked up at Roshi's imposing form and was a little stunned to see a pleasant smile on his face. She looked back at Takuyo and saw something similar. Part of her swore she was looking at the same face, just smaller. The odd thing was she felt an unfamiliar sense of comfort around the two. "G-gomenasai…I'm…"

"Anko there you are." She shivered a bit before looking up at the man who had appeared at the door. A little shorter than Roshi, he was still a good 6 feet tall. His trimmed muscles and tan complexion suggested he was a fighter, and he was indeed. Jibunka Mitarashi was the self-appointed town defender. Everyone knew his name even if they didn't want to, even Roshi. True he and his family had only been in town for 2 years but it didn't help. Roshi saw him at work once and he was gravely disappointed. In fact, he had almost gotten himself hurt against the Konoha jonin who had brought his genin into town for a mission. Not only were his priorities askew, so was his fighting ability. He did show good potential, but actions spoke louder than words to Roshi.

It then became clear to him that he had just spent most of the afternoon with this man's daughter. Looking back down at the young girl, he was slightly surprised to see her shaking. True normal people wouldn't notice such things but he was former jonin himself, and he always kept himself in shape. Next to her was Takuyo who had a funny look in his eye. His little brows were scrunched and his eyes squinting. Also, Roshi wasn't the only one to notice. "Most people will tell you that staring is rude brat."

"You're her daddy?" the boy said curiously. Jibunka smirked and patted his tiny head. He turned to his daughter and his smirk flattened. He flicked his head to the side. Anko seemed to understand as she dashed into the house and up the stairs. As Takuyo watched her vanish behind a wall, he swore he could hear a door shut and lock. "I apologize sir, I hope my daughter didn't bother you too much." Roshi turned back to him and grinned.

"Quite the contrary Mitarashi-san, my family and I very much enjoyed her company. Though, she did seem somewhat, shall I say, flustered around us. I'm sure that can be described as a typical reaction around strangers but I'm curious, does she often go outside?" Under normal circumstances Roshi would have strayed from such prying questions. But, looking at his son he could tell that there was something about the man the young boy didn't like. He may only be four, but his curiosity gave him an incredible insight in a situation, though his age made him unaware of it.

"No she doesn't, she gets scared pretty easily. I'm trying to work that out of her." Jibunka snorted as he turned back to where Anko had run. Turning back to his present company he gave Roshi what he thought was a neutral look. "As fun as getting to know you two is, I have some business to take care of, so I'll wish you good day" and with that being said, he closed the door. There was still a lingering sense of suspicion in the air as Roshi motioned for Takuyo and him to leave. They had barely gotten a mile away from the house when the silence was broken. "Hey dad…"

"Yes Takuyo, what's wrong?"

"I don't like that man. I think he's mean." The older man couldn't help but agree with his son's rather astute observation. Maybe the basic training he's put him through is progressing faster than he had hoped. But still, something did not seem right about the way that man presented himself towards others, much less his own daughter. "Takuyo I want you to listen to me very carefully." The little boy's ears perked in curious imagination. He knew whenever his father said that, he knew something big was about to happen, and it usually involved him. "After what we've seen tonight, I have your first mission."

* * *

_**7 years before the Cataclysm**_

Many months have passed and very little has changed for Anko. Her daily life continued to follow its normal, and predictable path but now with one little hiccup. There were some times where Takuyo would find her on the road and, in his own special way, initiate a form of tag. Freeze, hide and seek, or just plain, it didn't matter because every time she jumped when he seemingly popped up out of thin air. After that they'd watch the view from atop the same hill where they had met.

Takuyo said it had become something special to him, and that it was just as special to her. Despite some embarrassing moments with him and some of his friends, she was beginning to think that maybe there was some sense in his head. Of course, she had to lock away such thoughts when she was home lest her father catch her doing something he wouldn't approve of. Now she was concerned because he seemed to be catching on.

She made it clear to Takuyo and his parents that she be home around 5:00 or earlier. But, it didn't stop the boy from making a few close shaves. Anko thought he was crazy, but he just told her what he always told her for the past months: it was all part of his training. Part of her wished she could do what he could especially now. Nearing her front door once again she paused.

She inhaled deeply thinking _'Calm face Anko, calm face'_ as she got closer. When she felt sure enough she reached out and touched the handle. "I'm not letting this go on any further Jibu-kun." Anko stopped herself from opening the door. That voice belonged to her mother, and it sounded like she was in some sort of panic. Though she prayed it wasn't that bad, she would be proven wrong as the second voice wormed its way to her ears. "It's your problem, you know that, how is anyone going to take me seriously if she's always running away?!"

"How is it my problem when I've done nothing?!?!" It had started again, for the fourth time this month. Anko backed away from the door as her face fell. All their arguments nowadays had her as the main focus, but why? What did she do to provoke their anger? Her balled fist tightened slightly when she finally remembered what she was holding. Uncurling her fingers she looked at the now crushed item in her hands. Taking one quick look back at her house, she sighed before turning around and walking away. She would eventually break into a run as there was only one place to go now and she needed to get there fast.

XxXxXxXx

He really had to find a way to thank his father for what he had learned. Observing the sky as he leapt from limb to limb, one would think he was just doing it for fun. No, Takuyo was taking a path that had long since been burned into the corners of his brain. Finally catching sight of a break in the trees, he jumped back down to the ground. A little winded from using so much chakra he walked the rest of the way, finally reaching his destination. What's more, there was a surprise to greet him there. "Hey Anko, you're here early, what's going on?" She didn't give an answer and to him it only meant one thing. He was given this mission almost 2 years ago and to this day he still seeks to complete it. 2 years ago his father had told him to keep watch over little Anko and if something ever happened, to immediately tell him about it. Boy did they know how right they were about that.

It was 3 months ago that Takuyo had stumbled upon the house. Through the open window he heard shouts and cries coming from inside. His instinct told him to run and tell his father, but things started to get nasty. His father was on the other end of town when Takuyo heard a slap that he could feel from outside. His basic ninja training kicking in, he leapt through the open window, grabbed Anko and bolted out of there as fast as possible, but not before he was caught by a punch that grazed his temple. Needless to say, when the two bruised kids walked in the house, Roshi was concerned, shocked, and furious all at once. It was that day that Takuyo and his family learned the truth they hoped that wasn't.

Another thing was that the young girl seemed to be more of a recluse after that day, like dying embers on a dim lit fire. Sometimes she would not appear before them for days on end. When she did, she'd often have another bruise or cut that needed attention, but that was all she wanted. The icing on the cake was that she'd even walk herself home. Eventually Takuyo got fed up with her behavior and sent Anko a message. _Meet me on the hilltop today_ was all was written along with his name. For a while she wasn't going to do it then she heard the loud voices from inside her house. She thought if her parents were preoccupied with themselves then they haven't noticed she wasn't there, so she ran. She didn't know why nor did she care. What mattered was that she had a potential direction to go to besides down and only one person could confirm that for her "Why Takuyo?"

"Excuse me, I don't understand?"

"I mean you and your parents, why do they keep doing this?"

You're not making any sense Anko." He could tell there was something she wanted answered, but the questions she's thrown so far were not really clear. Though he had an idea, he too wanted confirmation. "What is it that I've done that's bothering you?"

"Everything…"

"You got to do better than that Anko."

"I mean everything that you…um…y-your parents have done…for me." Takuyo figured it was something he did wrong but never in his short life had he expected an answer like that. The one thing he was happy was that Anko didn't see the bewilderment covering his face. She was too buried in herself to notice much outside from the grass beneath them. "You spent almost 2 years watching over me. You feed me, give me a nice bed to sleep in, a place I can almost call home. Why do all that for me?"

"I don't know how, but you're making look like you don't want it, Anko what's wrong?" There was no answer from the timid girl. He asked again, but was once again met with silence. Taking a more direct approach he moved in front of her to see if he could make her look at him. The response was her pushing him away while she turned her back to him. Though it wasn't what he had hoped for, he knew why she was so quiet now. This time as he moved towards her, he knelt beside her, like he did 2 years ago and said "Anko…why are you crying?" All he heard was something akin to a steady case of hiccups. "H-how can you be s-so k-kind to me?"

"Anko I don't think…"

"H-he always tells me I'm worthless…a failure…a stupid waste of space!"

"How could you say…"

"I SAY IT BECAUSE IT'S TRUE!!! Every time I ever try to be something that's what he tells me! 'You'll never amount to anything wasting your time on such trivial objects' he says every single freaking day! I'm lucky if all I get is a slap in the face! How can I be the girl he wants if I always do things wrong?!"

"But what have you done wrong?!"

"I……I…I d-don't know Takuyo. How can I have such wonderful things if I can't answer that?"

"That makes no sense at all!"

"Yes it does, it means I'm everything he says I am! How can I get your kindness if I d-don't *_hic*_ even d-deserve it?" That was the last straw. Takuyo couldn't take anymore of her sad, self hatred. He wanted her to know she was wrong, and damn it all he was going to prove it to her. "NOW YOU LISTEN TO ME GIRL!" That did its job of getting her attention. As her face rose from her knees it revealed the hot, swelling, tear stained face of a girl who always tried to keep it inside, but in the end lost the battle. Takuyo found it strange that he himself had to fight down the urge to cry at the sight as he continued. "I don't care about what he thinks, I don't want to hear what he says. If something is going on then we'll always be there to help you, if not my parents then me!"

"B-bb-but…why…" before she said anything else Takuyo put a finger over her lips. All he did then was gaze into her chocolate colored eyes with something she had never seen before. As the air left her lungs he whispered "It's what friends do, they help each other when they're sad." She would always remember that as the day she finally broke down in front of someone else. He would always remember it as the first time he truly helped another. Both would remember it as the time their true relationship began.

XxXxXxXx

The following year saw a major change in young Anko. Roshi finally confronted Jibunka about his actions toward her and in many ways was the back breaking straw. Before divorcing her bastard of a husband, Chimushi, Anko's mother, made sure to spend at least one full day with her before leaving for parts unknown. She knew she had allowed Jibunka to play her like a drum thus paving the way for many bad memories, ones she wanted to replace. But, Roshi, Saya, and Takuyo were there to pick up the pieces and welcomed her into their home. Though the first week she rarely came out of her room aside from meals, she eventually opened up to the three of them more and more with each day.

Anko also seemed to fall into her own skin quiet well. Going from a scared, introverted girl, to a spark of energy with an attitude, well as much of an attitude a 7 year old girl can have without looking crazy. Today was one example as she was the one to tackle Takuyo, also 7, face down into the grass "HAH I got you, now say it!" She could only giggle at his muffled voice, but then again she did have him pinned. Finally able to turn his head he spit out whatever had crawled into his mouth. "NEVER, not until you break every bone in my body! I will find a way to…OH MY GOD LOOK AT THAT!" Anko turned her head and one second later was laid flat on the ground, Takuyo holding her arms down. "You cheated."

"Ninja training, I'm two years ahead of you did you forget?"

"How could I when you remind me every day?" She said rolling her eyes before being tickled. Takuyo loved doing this to her, making her laugh. To him it was a sure sign she was happy, and it seemed to happen a lot recently to. He would've kept going had a familiar mental alarm not gone off. When Anko stopped giggling, she saw the serious look in his eyes as they darted about. Having started her own ninja training she knew they were not alone anymore. She nodded and Takuyo made a single bunshin to stay in place, while he went off to greet their company. Moments later, Anko heard the cry of "BANZAI" from the woods to her left so she immediately made a break for it. She stumbled upon a very confusing sight.

Takuyo was down, spirals in his eyes, while a strange woman knelt beside him. Her long red hair loosely tied back fell down way below her shoulders above a light blue tank, a small yellow stripe running up and down the middle. Matching arm warmers easily concealed the mesh armor she wore underneath along with her fingerless gloves. Light blue pants rounded out the suit while black shin greaves and shinobi sandals covered her feet. As Anko gazed into her dazzling pale sea foam eyes, something inside her told her she was way out of her league. She wanted to run, but that would mean leaving Takuyo to an unknown fate. "I'm sorry, is this your friend little one?"

Anko was brought back to her senses at her melodious voice. Now the woman had a puzzled face as she kept looking back and forth between the kids. Anko finally swallowed the lump in her throat finally finding her voice. "H-how did you do that?"

"He kind of caught me off guard, it was a reflex more than anything. He's still conscious, just dizzy."

"But I dun-wanna feed gramma bacon while she's in the bathtub." The woman laughed out loud at the random statement. Seeing as the she meant no harm Anko crouched next to Takuyo and lightly shook him out of his stupor. Getting the feeling back in his head he too turned to face the lady before him. "I think I'll be feeling that one for a while, are you a jonin?"

"Y-yes…I am."

"No wonder my brain suddenly has a pulse. I think I'm done for the day."

"Takuyo, there you are." Roshi finally appeared before the trio. Having sensed his spike in chakra he knew something had happened. He was glad he and Anko weren't hurt. Then he noticed the third person. "Seeing as there are no broken bones or anything, I'd like to know why a Konoha jonin is here unannounced."

"I'm on a mission, a big one. Do you know of a man named Roshi Kataimei?" The older man raised a brow and on instinct got in front of the two kids. "What business does the leaf want with me?" The woman stiffened at his question. Roshi had to adopt a defensive stance as he watched her release a katana from a seal on her forearm. However, before either moved, another figure entered the fray, right behind the sword wielding woman. "Stand down Kushina-chan."

"M-Minato-kun…but this man is…"

"I know who he is, and that's why we can't kill him." Kushina hesitated before lowering her sword and resealing it. Takuyo saw an opportunity and stood back in sight of the two jonin. "What do you want with my dad?" Both Minato and Kushina seemed surprised at this new information. He looked back at Roshi to see him rubbing the bridge of his nose in quiet frustration. "I think we're getting off on the wrong foot. Roshi, if you don't mind, we need to talk."

* * *

_**16 years after the Cataclysm**_

"Anko-san are you alright?" The woman was cast from her thoughts and abruptly looked to her companion. The boy desperately needed to get some sun, and his social skills were pretty abysmal. Nevertheless she did admit that Sai, though a member of ROOT, was a big help on the recently cancelled mission. She, him, and Yamato had just found the location of Kabuto Yakushi when the wood master suddenly took off saying there was an emergency. They had followed him back to the village and immediately they stopped. The sight was almost unbearable. Everything was gone, flattened like a pancake while rubble accumulated at the edges of what used to be Konoha.

True rebuilding had begun, evidence of Yamato's newly created buildings, but she still felt somewhat sad, probably because of the loss of her favorite dango shop. It was then she heard the sound of Kiba Inuzuka's voice and decided to investigate. She met up with Sakura Haruno, Kakshi Hatake, and the hero of the hour, Naruto Uzumaki. While she was surprised at the villager's change in attitude towards him, it would soon pale in comparison to what she was about to hear. "What's going on over here, the village is in shambles and the lot of you are just standing around." Team Kakshi nodded to the dog boy who turned to face her. "I had just found out that Tsunade was just dismissed as Hokage, and that some freak named Danzo has taken her place."

The spike in energy was noticeable for a good mile, and it was coming from Anko. Unknown to her, the whole of Team Kakashi knew Danzo as well, for various reasons. "Beg my pardon Anko, but do you know the dear elder?" Kakashi enquired. Before she could answer, 4 ANBU agents suddenly surrounded them. Not far behind was the bastard of the hour himself, a smirk over his mummy like face. "Naruto Uzumaki, the Hokage has ordered you to be placed in ANBU security." The agent with the bird mask blankly droned.

"On what grounds exactly?" Danzo looked as if he was about to spit in Naruto's face

"You have no rights here Kyuubi, take him down." The agents prepared to attack while Kakashi, Sakura, Kiba, and Anko prepared to defend Naruto. Danzo's only reaction was a bland frown. "You dare go against the Hokage, then you are all traitors, take the boy, kill the rest." The fight was about to begin until the immediate area became shrouded in blood. The commotion had drawn the attention of some nearby workers who had heard the confrontation. They would vomit when they saw the corpses of 4 ANBU Root agents, freshly killed, blood spewing from the shuriken wounds in their heads. "They're dead, b-but how is this possible, who did this?!" Danzo yelled.

"That would be me" a voice responded from behind the elder. He spun around only to be caught in a head lock and forced onto the ground. The newcomer wore faded black pants matching his sandals. Leather, fingerless gloves on his hands marked the end of the long sleeves of the beige jacket, the sheepskin lining showing on the folded down collar. The coat was unbuttoned showing the dark red top he wore underneath it all. The only thing not visible was the top half of his face, it being covered by a bandana and sunglasses but did nothing to hide the brown-orange facial hair growing on his chin and upper lip. Danzo squirmed beneath him but also knew that this attack would bring reinforcements under his control. "You have made a poor choice of action stranger. Even if you escape them, my ninja will hunt you down and erase every trace of you."

"You can't threaten me with criminal status Danzo. Last I remember I had already achieved the highest level in your eyes" the man whispered. Danzo stopped wiggling and slowly turned his one good eye to look upon his assailant. "It c-can't be you…"

"Call off your men, or the village will get a _better_ Hokage" at that moment more Root agents appeared, though seemingly hesitant to engage the intruder. Danzo gave them a light nod and they backed off. The man lowered himself again to whisper "You live another day elder, but know this. Things have been put in motion that you could not even begin to comprehend. I will be back, and next time, someone will be coming with me. Beware dear elder, I will be watching." The man the leaped off Danzo and struck the ground with his fist. The rock spires that shot up broke the group of converging Roots. When they retracted, he was gone.

* * *

**I'm looking at this piece of work right now and all I can say is WOW. This is a 'I have seen Star Trek and it was friggin awesome' WOW. I've rarely felt so good about any of my work. I think I finally see again why I had became a fan author in the first place. Being a Mechanical Engineering major in college, I'm opening myself to a wide variety of career paths. Just like that, your mind can create many paths for countless situations. In short, it's called being creative. I hope you've enjoyed the prologue because now is where the fun really begins.**

**Another round of thnaks to **_Leaf Ranger_**, keep doing what you're doing man!**

**EDIT 6/19/09: fixed two small grammar mistakes. Also, Kushina's outfit was made by Nishi06 on Deviant Art in her MinaKushi doujin. Just wanted to give proper credit.**

**EDIT 7/02/09: who the hell is KAKSHI? Found 2 of those and corrected them  
**


	2. Seeking Resolution

**A/N:**** I've been wanting to finish this chapter for a while now. The good majority of it had been written a couple weeks ago but only now could I end it. It's high time I fulfilled a promise made in my initial announcement. All you NaruHina fanatics better empty your bladders and grab a snack. I think you are going to love this and if you don't...suck it :)**

_**

* * *

Seeking Resolution**_

_2 blocks away_

The other members of Team 8 had taken rest by one of Yamato's newly crafted buildings. Kurenai was thankful for the nearby bench. It gave her a chance to get off her feet. "Has Naruto given you an answer Hinata?" The heiress turned to Shino giving a small mental sigh at his behavior. Even in a desperate time such as this, he could still remain cool and collected something her father had tried to teach her in the past. Nevertheless, she had told them everything she knew about the fight so what was a little more? "G-gomenasai Shino-kun, I h-haven't had a chance to speak to him yet."

"From the looks of the people, it might be a while before you do. How easy a person's mind can change" Kurenai pondered. But inside, she felt happy at knowing of the people's acceptance of their hero. It gave her hope that her child, who was expected within the coming month or so, would have another shining example to follow. "It doesn't matter anymore sensei. I've w-waited this long, I can wait a little m-more." In the past such a comment was made with a neutral or sullen face. But as her teacher and teammate observed her, there was a small, yet bright smile gracing her face.

True she was almost killed in doing so, but after more than 10 years of watching, waiting, and hoping, she finally gave her fragile spirit a proverbial 'screw you' and did something about it. She felt as if a lifetime of pressure had suddenly been released. For the first time she could remember, Hinata Hyuuga felt confident. Confident that, even in failure, she did something good, that she finally got her biggest secret off her chest, and that she probably would've kicked some ass if it wasn't for that repelling technique. Her head was still swaying a bit. "While that may be true, it would be wise to settle this conflict as quickly as possible. I'm sure Naruto is curious about your behavior today." Neither girl could deny his logic, but he was an Aburame.

Further pondering was halted when Kiba returned to the group, and his face didn't sit well with the others. "K-kiba, what's wrong?"

"It's Kakashi and crew; things are getting pretty hot between them and our new guests." No other words were needed as Kurenai motioned for the three, and Akamaru, to go help them. As they got closer, they could definitely hear the sounds of a brawl, but it stopped as quickly as it started. By the time they arrived on the scene, Sai was in a defensive stance, Naruto was defending Sakura, while two other ninjas were standing out on the nearby pond. Hinata almost lost her breath when she found a pair of Kumo headbands on their heads. "You're so annoying, why would Sasuke talk to you?!" Those words looked as though they were for Sakura as she then fell onto her knees crying.

In the proceeding seconds they all learned that Sasuke had been part of an attack on Killerbee, Kumo's only remaining jinchuriki, and it seemed the two visitors were not taking it too well. "Now that orders have been given to kill Sasuke I'm sure the village will give you any information you want, you don't have to pressure these guys for it" Sai explained, trying to reason with the frustrated pair.

"So what, do you expect us to sit here and do nothing?! Fat chance, how could any of you understand?!" shouted the girl. Hinata was aware of the conversation, but she kept her focus on Naruto. She was surprised that none of them noticed their presence, but it was just as well, she didn't want them to yet. Naruto's reactions to the Kumo-ichi's words left him somber, as if in thought. It only inflated her curiosity. Does he know what they're shouting about, and if so why? "You're sensei is a jinchuriki isn't he?" The Kumo shinobi were finally silenced.

"H-how do you know about…?"

"Because I'm one too, so it's just as much my fight as his." It was Team 8's turn to be shocked. The next few sentences were lost on them because they couldn't comprehend what they had just heard. Jinchuriki, demon host, what did he mean? Akamaru's whine brought them out of their trance. "I know boy, something tells me we shouldn't have heard that."

"I agree Kiba, though this seems to answer a question I've long held about Naruto, it raises others."

"M-maybe Kurenai-chan can help us." Shino shook his head at Hinata.

"My insects are apprehensive of that. Something tells me the answers we seek are potentially unfavorable." While he was, logically, correct again, Hinata could not accept it. She had been watching Naruto practically all her life. All the pain he suffered, all the pranks, she knew there was a deeper meaning. Now she finally had a shred of evidence and if she couldn't ask her senesei, she'd go right for the source…she just had to swallow the growing lump in her throat first. Kiba was able to sniff that the air around them had changed and looked back to his female comrade. Looking back at Shino, he confirmed his suspicions. Hinata wasn't about to give up and would need their support. They moved just in time as it seemed Naruto and the Kumo-nin were about to leave elsewhere.

"G-gomen, but I can't let you go yet." Five faces turned around all with varying reactions. Sakura appeared a little surprised, Sai just continued to observe, the Kumo-nin were confused, but Naruto…Naruto was something else. In the turmoil he had completely forgotten about Hinata, more importantly what she had done during the attack. For a moment his heart beat faster in happiness in the fact she was still alive, but then a realization quickly dawned on him. How long had she been there…and how much did she hear? Naruto's face appeared numb to those on the outside because the emotion inside was moving back and forth so fast you think it was lightening.

The final factor to his composure was Danzo, who had once again shown himself to the group. This time accompanied by the third Kumo shinobi, a fellow blond in a short one-piece uniform, Samui. "You've got a lot of nerve showing your face among us!" Kiba shouted. The others of Team Kurenai were confused, leaving Sakura to fill them in on what had just happened. Needless to say, they were hard-pressed not to let Naruto loose. Hinata was especially upset, but at that moment, the words of her father suddenly poured into her head. Taking on a face of stoicism never seen of her before, she stood slightly in front of Naruto. "What is it that you want with him, Danzo-_san_?" The hidden venom in the suffix was not lost to her company, shocked as they were at her sudden mood swing. The Hinata standing before them appeared to hold a degree of killer intent.

Sai remained neutral as expected, but Naruto was perplexed. He had never known Hinata to be so forceful, but then again, looking at the situation, he knew little about Hinata at all. That's why he was so shocked when she suddenly confessed some very deep feelings for him. He did admire all she did for him during their first chunin exams and had held her as one of few people he felt he could trust. Still Naruto found himself asking, what does it all mean? How long had she felt this way, and most importantly, why her? Naruto wasn't sure where to begin. But given the current conflict, he had to force his mental inquiry aside. Danzo only shook his head and sighed. "Why would I ever do such a thing to a hero of the people? It's just not my style."

"Is that all that's stopping you?" Everyone turned at Naruto's interruption. Hinata moved aside as Naruto stepped forward. Sai looked at his teammate in an unfamiliar light. The pale boy knew full well of his master's actions having been forced to read certain secret records he kept. He knew if he had sprung such information to anyone outside Root, the seal on his tongue would put him at his mercy. But Naruto had no such obstacle and he was now taking full advantage of it. Truth be told, once again Sai understood what it means to be jealous. "It's because of you that I was barely able to survive my day to day life. You think I didn't see any of those edicts you put outside the mansion?"

"What is he talking about Hokage-san?" Samui asked.

"Oh he hasn't told you? This man was responsible for ensuring I had little to no freedom during my early life." Naruto was just able to keep a straight face in the presence of the Kumo ninja. Omoi and Karui looked at Danzo like he had grown a second head. To them, jinchuriki were widely loved and respected, like their master Killerbee. They had heard scarce rumors of host oppression but thought they were nothing more. Even Samui, with her calm attitude, found it to be in total distaste. "Are his words true?"

"Do the actions of the past matter at this point? The village needs to be rebuilt, and as far as I know, you three have a missing-nin to eliminate, so unless you have further business here I ask that you leave." Samui motioned for her teammates to follow her. They began to head for the location of the archives given to them by Danzo to start their research, but not before Karui and Omoi gave one last glance towards their new blond acquaintance.

* * *

Danzo watched as the group took their separate ways and he followed suit back to his tent. Though he didn't fully approve of his actions, what he said was true. It stunned even him how quickly the whole village's outlook on the jinchuriki changed. Had things been different he probably would've had the civilian's support to do willy-nilly with Naruto, but that was now out of his hands. Besides, he had finally been named Hokage, though just a temporary position he had plans to make it permanent. There were other obstacles that would need his attention, but they would have to wait. News of the destruction of Konoha spread like wildfire and the word had since been sent calling for the five kages to meet. He needed to ensure everything was in order for his absence.

One example was Anko Mitarashi. When the girl had been recovered years ago after Orochimaru's sealing he ensured one of his ANBU was present for the interrogation. Afterward, he constantly assigned men to keep an eye over the former Sanin to gage how big a threat he was becoming. If the Suna-Oto invasion 3 years ago was anything, it proved he could actually take down the village. But that did not apply to the current situation. The snake's old apprentice still harbored ill will even after his death, going so far as to take any mission that would lead her to his next target, Kabuto Yakushi.

He knew that if left unchecked, he could lose the only man capable of healing his arm and eye. If he could successfully assimilate his master's remains, then Danzo knew that the bespectacled medic would be capable of so much more, so much more that he could use. Though doing anything rash like killing the kunoichi would smear his new title so he had to settle for watching her, just like he would do with Naruto. After his initial attempts to recruit Naruto ended in failure, the war hawk tried to force the hand of Hiruzen to hand him over, but that too failed. Now chances of gaining the power of the Kyuubi had waned and would continue to do so unless he solidified his position as Rokudaime Hokage.

"Fu and Torune, you stay. Terai, I will leave Kabuto in your hands, go." One of the agents nodded and disappeared. The other two that were left he had chosen as his bodyguards. Never trusting foreigners, he chose two of his top men. Should the need arise they would take care of any difficulty that should present itself. "Torune, have some of your men watch over Naruto. Make sure he can't leave the village."

"Hai Danzo-sama, but I believe something else has come up and requires your immediate attention."

"For your sake, it had better be important. The kages will be meeting soon."

"My apologies…but around an hour ago, patrols spotted an intruder attacking a group of five foreign ninja. Four of them were killed in their attempt to capture Naruto Uzumaki disguised as you." Danzo's good eye rose a bit at his report. An unknown intruder kills four others to prevent a jinchuriki-napping in his name. He sat up and gazed on his subordinate. "Please explain Torune."

"It happened in the span of approximately two seconds. After the group assaulted Team Kakashi, they tried again, and then the intruder appeared and killed the four surrounding your impersonator. They could have been no more than average chunin at best. Kira and his squad are examining the bodies as we speak. His report also mentioned that this stranger is connected to you. He said that he labeled himself a classified as a high class missing-nin under your orders."

Danzo lay back in his seat. His hand subconsciously went to his bandaged arm tracing circles on the forearm. This new information was unsettling. He was just making momentum in securing his new political power and a new threat has decided to block his path yet again. His eyes shifted to the side, looking at the blank canvas of the tent. It was a moment where Danzo was thankful for the patience of his men. "Is the intruder still in the village?"

"We believe so, but he's suppressed his chakra enough that our trackers can't get a solid lock. It's possible that he may be hidden among the civilians. Kira also said that he would return, but that he would be taking someone with him." Danzo had heard enough. Placing the Hokage's hat on his back he made his way outside, Fu and Torune following close behind. "Send a message to the Land of Iron. We're going to be late for the meeting. Are the Root archives still intact?"

"Hai Danzo-sama"

"Contact Michi, have him prepare the records of recorded criminals over the last 20 years. You two and I will search through them and remove any threat labeled A-rank or higher. I have my suspicions but I want to be sure." Danzo tapped his cane twice and a set of stairs opened underground. The trio went down and the door shut above them, sealing them off from prying eyes.

* * *

With the visitors from Kumo busy gathering data, and his team off doing other things to help get the village running again, Naruto had vanished elsewhere. Luckily for him, his secret quiet spot was the one thing in the entire village that was still intact. This time he perched himself atop the head of the Yondaime, or as he now knew him, Minato Namikaze, his father. The image running his fist into his gut replayed before him. In retrospect, it was something he probably didn't need to do, but then again considering how close he came to losing himself to Kyuubi, only to have your idol stop you, and reveal that you're closely related to him, all after 10+ years of solitude and community wide oppression, he silently gave a dare to anyone who could do better.

Also, it was the first time he ever remembered being beside himself with pride. He had just completed the most difficult training of his life only to immediately bear the force of battle as he was summoned back from Mt. Myobokuzan. His new skill with natural energy needed fine tuning, but it still gave him an edge against Pain. Even now he still was a little surprised that he didn't kill him when he encountered his real body, but he had sworn that he would find a way to end the hatred plaguing the world before him. The last thing he wanted to be was a fucking hypocrite. Then, after the last jutsu was cast, Naruto returned to a cavalcade of praise from the civilians. He wondered for a bit if this was what would've waited for the Yondaime had he not died that night sixteen years ago…his birthday.

But, in truth, the "future Hokage" had now found himself in the biggest conflict of his young life. With the arrival of the Kumo team, he had come to realize that all the training, the battles, the suffering, and old scars may have all meant nothing. Sasuke Uchiha, according to the red head, was now a member of Akatsuki. Naruto had dedicated nearly 3 years to accomplish what he failed to do at the Valley of the End. He had no choice, he made a promise to a dear friend, and he was going to keep it.

But now, the first seeds of doubt had begun to grow. Naruto knew he had gotten stronger, but even with sage mode he only beat Pain, and gained Amegakure as an ally, because of a fail-safe within the Kyuubi's seal. Were it not there…he just couldn't think about the consequences. In the end, he broke free from the fox's influence and won, and now he was here, alone, atop the Hokage Monument with his thoughts as his only company.

As much as he wanted to deny it, Naruto knew that in his own way Danzo-teme was right, he had indeed become their new hero, but now it seemed so miniscule. All of the information that he received over the last hour or so was pulling him in too many directions at once. That strange intruder, Danzo becoming Hokage, and to top it all off, a person he still considered a brother had become part of his worst enemies. Naruto came up here to clear his head, but found himself with only more questions, leaving him unaware of his surroundings.

"Naruto-kun" he spun around, a little stunned at the sudden sound of her voice. Though he wanted the earth to swallow him whole right now the only thing he could do was look back downwards. "Are you alright Naruto-kun?" She had gotten closer and was now kneeling next to him.

"How would you feel if your closest friend just stabbed you in the back?" Hinata felt a little hurt at what he said. Honestly, she didn't really want to know such a feeling. But at least she got him talking. "G-gomen…but I d-don't know."

"Yeah, I thought so." There was that same tone, yet another twinge through her body. Hinata was starting to lose her faith in where this conversation was going and she turned away. Seeing her out of his peripherals, Naruto looked up at her face. Though he couldn't tell, he swore that Hinata had a strength that not even he had known of when she came to defend him from Pain. Now he saw her as something entirely different, almost crest fallen if you will. "No, it's not your fault Hinata it's just…I'm trying to deal with a lot right now."

"Ano, d-do you want to talk a-about it?" Naruto looked back at her as they met face to face. While she still looked somewhat sad, he saw a glint of curiosity and something else. Though unsure of what, he thought he felt his heart skip a couple beats. Lying down, he put a hand over his heart. It was running at a speed comparable to when he finished a tough mission. It felt amazing and yet scary at the same time. "Hinata I…well you and…"

"It's okay, you d-don't have to say anything." Hinata was about to walk away when she felt something grab her hand. She disregarded it as merely running into a low hanging branch, but then she felt it tugging back. The familiar heat came to her face as she looked to find her hand being grasped by Naruto's. "No you can stay. I just don't know where to start." Swallowing the massive lump in her throat, Hinata was able to give a barely coherent answer. "T-the beginning i-is usually t-t-the best. Hinata thought she had prepared herself for what was to come. "How much did you hear back in the village?"

"Ano…you m-mentioned that those K-Kumo shinobi had a jinchuriki f-for their sensei, but you also said that y-you were one as well. What happened to you?" Naruto gave one last look at Hinata. This was always one of his greatest fears since Mizuki shouted those words to him. However, once again, he felt his heart beating faster. It was the second today that it had happened, but now it felt different, like it was goading him on. Screaming at him to just let it out and get it over with. "It began the night the Yondaime died. Do you remember what we were told back in the academy?"

"H-hai, he sacrificed himself to destroy it."

"Then I'll get right to the point, they lied." Hinata's lavender eyes widened slightly at this information. She had even asked her fellow clansmen about the situation and they told her the same thing. But it just made no sense, how would Naruto be affected by this? A pit started forming within, but she fought past it and went further. "Why did they do t-that? If the fox is still roaming a-about…"

"He's not Hinata…because the Yondaime instead sealed it away." The pit grew bigger. She started making connections she wasn't aware of before. Yet she could only hope that it wasn't going to get worse. "If you're wondering how it was possible? I asked myself that when I first found out. Yondaime used a living host to contain the Kyuubi. To be more specific, it was newborn baby…" Hinata saw the hesitation on his face before he looked away from her. She had not seen Naruto like this in a long time. She knew from experience he was in pain, one so great that he could barely move. She got up and moved to his other side. It was probably instinct that allowed her to move her hand out and lift his face.

Naruto knew he failed in his attempt to shut himself out. Her eyes were on him yet again. The way she set herself in front of him, it was as if she was peering into his very soul, searching for his deepest secrets. He remembered Neji spouting something like that when he fought him 3 years ago. But, he still wondered why Hinata had not run. He was sure with what he just said she could figure it out, he knew she could. He finally got his wish as Hinata suddenly gasped and covered her mouth "Y-you……Yondaime u-used you?" Hinata thought she had prepared herself for what was to come, she was wrong and Naruto could see it. He turned her back to her again and just gazed out in the distance. It wouldn't be long before he heard her running back to the village.

But, his upper abdomen suddenly became constricted. Naruto lifted his head and looked down. A pair of arms had secured themselves around him and were not about to let go. His eyes shot opened fully, why was she still here? Shouldn't she be running away, scared by the knowledge of the Kyuubi? Naruto thought he was prepared for her reaction, he was _dead_ wrong. "All this t-time…Naruto-kun all this time, you've been protecting us" he was absolutely speechless. This was the second time he unveiled his secret, the first one was out of misguided necessity when going to rescue Gaara. But this time, someone came to him, wanting the truth…and she wasn't scared. "How could everyone just torture you like that for so long?"

"Hinata…they think since I'm the host, I've become the fox itself."

"Well they're wrong! They had no reason to do all that!'

"Aren't you afraid of…?"

"NO I'M NOT!!!" Hinata finally let go allowing Naruto to spin around. He had seen a few expressions adorn Hinata's face during his sparse interaction with her. There was hesitation when he saw her at their first Chunin Exams, determination when she was fighting Neji half-dead, in fact he now concluded she held something similar before her failed attempt at fighting Pain. But now, her brow was creased in such a way, that she almost looked angry. "I've been watching you for so long. I've seen you during the worst of times. But I've also seen you fight through it all. It would've only taken one moment for you to just stop and give up, but you never did. That's what I admire most about you Naruto-kun."

Naruto's heart seemed to become a heat source it was going so fast, so fast that the warmth had spread over his whole body. That's when he remembered what she had said about him 3 years prior. "You called me proud failure once."

"You still are because no matter what gets thrown at you, you always seem to persevere. I..I wanted so badly to be the same. I had been looked down upon by my own clan, my own family. It was your words that got me through my fight with N-Neji because your nindo…b-became mine as well." Either Hinata wasn't aware of it, or she didn't care, but Naruto noticed the twinkle appearing in the corners of her eyes. "It's why I couldn't stand to just sit back and watch you get captured……I love you too much." The meaning behind her words was apparent to the whiskered blonde. She said the same thing before she was wounded, but now it was starting to make sense. Naruto felt like smacking himself for not noticing it sooner. Perhaps if he had who knows where he'd be now.

It also appeared that she became aware of the increasing dampness on her face as her sleeve rolled over her eyes. Naruto took the opportunity to do the one thing that he felt was appropriate. It was her turn for an abdominal constriction. The action caught her by surprise as the air immediately emptied from her lungs. "I think this is the second time you've pulled me out of a rut…arigato…Hinata-chan."

'_H-he c-c-called me……c-called m-me…'_ Naruto finally released her allowing her to see what had happened. In place of the numb, sullen face was a smile...an honest to Kami smile. She could only blush at the sight as she looked away, slightly embarrassed. "Hey, why so quiet all of a sudden you were on a roll Hinata-chan." Now what was that supposed to mean? The only thing that sounded reasonable was her choice of words used not 15 seconds ago. After coming to grips with what she had done…she made a classic move from them Hinata handbook: turn into a human tomato. Naruto's resulting chuckle did nothing to help.

"It's okay, in fact I guess it's exactly what I needed. Now that I think about it…I owe you twice over now. I don't think I really thanked you after I fought Neji." She looked up from her knees and saw him looking out at the slowly re-building shinobi metropolis below them, the smile still glued to his face. "Out of the entire village not a single soul has ever said 'I love you' to my face. Hinata-chan…over the last hour or so you've said it twice. I…I've never felt like this before in my whole life, it's like the whole world is screaming at me right now. I know what you want…b-but I'm sorry, I can't return your feelings." The fire inside her seemed to die down a few notches, but then again, she knew he was right. To walk up and declare her love for the jinchuriki without dropping any sort of clue was nothing short of crazy. But now, she could at least move on, satisfied that nevertheless she told him anyway. "So would you give me a chance to figure it all out…Hinata-chan?" Once again, his voice paralyzed her. She had just stood up to leave when he spoke up again. This time she was able to look at him, somewhat, to his face. "W-what do you mean?"

"I meant it when I said you're the first person to outright say you love me, and what I mean is…well…I want to see where it goes, if you let me." Hinata felt as if she could be sent to fiery pits of hell right now and she wouldn't care. Her greatest desire had just been granted and nothing to bring her down…except herself. She was at least able to squeak out 'Hai' before fainting. Semi-panicked, Naruto moved to catch before she hit her head on the rock face below them. Laying her down, he repressed the urge to chuckle at the goofy smile on her face coupled with her fading blush. Now he finally knew why she always seemed so meek before. Nevertheless, his mood had been brightened thanks to her, so maybe he should find someplace more comfortable so she doesn't wake up with a headache.

Naruto kept his pace at a minimum as he scaled down his secret path from the monument. It didn't take too long before he found the little abandoned shed that marked the end of the trail. Along with the decayed, but sturdy encampment there was a still working well that was no doubt used back during the days of the Shodai. Luckily, there was still some standing water in the pail. Checking for cleanliness, Naruto wet a few of his fingers and lightly massaged Hinata's right temple, to her forehead, and to the other side. The feeling of a faint, but jarring cold was enough to rouse a quiet groan from the young heiress and it wasn't long before her eyes once again greeted her surroundings.

Even better was the fact that said environment included the company of her long time crush turned love. Realizing she had fainted in front of him again made her blush again only making him laugh. "Hey at least I know why you were so shy around me now, don't worry Hinata…chan." She got to her feet and brushed off the dust from her clothes. His hesitation did not go unnoticed as she looked in his direction. Seeing he was looking to her right she did the same. In front of them were Omoi and Karui. "You told us you would give us the low down on Sasuke, well now's a good a time as any."

* * *

A large group of people had gathered around one of the many buildings acting as shelters. As the ninja were guiding them in, one seemed to be satisfied with lounging about on the side. His matted blonde hair while in need of a shampoo, still relaxed itself on his head to just above his eyes, still hidden by his sunglasses. The man had only reached the village a short time ago and like others, was shocked to see what had been called the most powerful hidden village almost completely erased from the land. It had been many years since he had been home and was eager to finally rest. But such is the life of a shinobi on the run. To this day part of him still wishes to turn back the clock and make things right, yet he constantly fought back those, and other desires as well.

He had barely set foot in the outer perimeter for 10 minutes before hearing news of the newly appointed Hokage. His anger still boiled inside at his final given orders, only then to be made a borderline A-rank criminal. Though now he felt as the line had finally been crossed with those bodyguards he killed. While it still might have been necessary to do so, he felt that he let his emotions drive his actions and became an example of the adage 'shoot first, ask questions later' or something like that.

Still, his initial goal had been accomplished. Danzo was now well aware of his return and as long as he kept a low profile until the next phase, the elder couldn't stop him. Yet, now that he had time to look over his encounter he felt something was very wrong. He realized he eliminated 4 ANBU level ninja in a heartbeat. It was something that should be nearly impossible for him. Yes he kept his skills up to par, but given his view of himself, he still had yet to reach a solid Jonin level.

It could possibly mean that his day-to-day struggle called life had finally bore fruit and he had finally gotten stronger, or his victims were simply no match for his current level. Slamming his fist on the wall, he counted another factor. Danzo _never_ acted out his plans himself, much less out in the open. The encounters with Root hunters had taught him that much. In short, he knew those men he killed weren't Root agents, hell they probably weren't even ANBU. They just had good proficiency with henge to fool him. But, it still drew actual agents to the scene so there was little doubt Danzo was now actively tracking him again, which meant he wouldn't be safe for much longer. It was sooner than he would've liked, but he did make a threat, and it was high time he held fast to it.

* * *

Things had broken down rather fast with Naruto and his present company. He told the two visiting ninja he would give them any info they needed on Sasuke, but at the last minute he refused to spill the beans. It wasn't long before Karui had him pinned against the old wooden wall demanding compensation. Said compensation was Naruto's consent to be her punching bag. His new ambition of finding true peace had prevented him from doing much else.

If he had to suffer to break the chain of hatred plaguing the world, he'd gladly step in. Though she said it would do no good, he still allowed her to hit him. However, she would only get two good hits in before her fist was held back by Naruto's own companion. In response Karui put her full attention on the girl as she drew her katana. But she would go no further as she was knocked down by the heel of Hinata's palm in her face.

She got to one knee and placed one hand on her sword. "Well, looks like Blondie has a girlfriend…and a Hyuuga no less." Karui stood up and wiped the blood trickling from her lips. "You may pack a punch, but you need to learn to not get on other's bad sides."

"I-I hold no quarrel with you Kumo-san, but s-should you continue to hurt Naruto-kun I won't hold back."

"Hinata…wait…" the girls turned to see Naruto stumbling to his feet. Though his face was starting to swell he was still able to speak. It was then that Sai chose to reveal himself and act as his temporary crutch. "T-this is what I mean. You hurt me or my friends, there will be some who won't let it go, and they'll seek vengeance on you. This chain of hatred is what destroyed the village…I won't allow it to ruin anything, or anyone else again." Karui sighed, clearly annoyed. She was about to step forward when Omoi put his hand on her shoulder. "It's pointless to keep prying if the rock won't budge. He's not going to sell him out no matter what we do."

"How would you know that?"

"Because he's just that kind of guy, one who never breaks his word. Besides, he's a good kid, I like him." Omoi turned back to Naruto to notice the Hyuuga rubbing some kind of ointment on his face. He cocked a brow when he saw the bruises and cuts vanish almost immediately. Then again, he was a jinchuriki; Killerbee had an amazing healing rate so he figured he would have one too. He would've liked to chat a little more if Samui hadn't shown up. Karui looked a little panicked but settled down in a few seconds. "We know Killerbee might still be alive, we need to save him. If we can find Akatsuki's hideout we can…"

"Do what exactly? You think you're strong enough to defeat someone who captured Killerbee? Not to mention they have more than one hideout. We don't want a repeat of what happened with Yugito, we need more information." Karui and Omoi looked a little downtrodden but knew their captain was right. They'd have to swallow their pride and report to the Raikage and soon. "Take me with you I want to help your host." Samui turned to find a black and orange clad leaf ninja. "Naruto you need…"

"I want to talk to the Raikage anyway." Samui stared at her fellow blond for a short moment. They had only been here for a couple hours and she had heard high praise for one Naruto Uzumaki, along with quite a few remorseful comments. Maybe what he said before was true, that he indeed had a "restricted" life, but that didn't matter now. "I'm sorry, I can't allow that. We don't know much about you so we can't take you without a full guard." As the trio vanished, Naruto clenched his fists. If Kumogakure was now actively hunting Sasuke, the only one who could possibly call them off was their leader, the Raikage. There had to be a way to speak to him, even it was only for 5 seconds. He started back towards the village, but stumbled enough that he had to lean on a tree for support, damn that girl hit harder than he thought.

"A little help please?" Hinata wanted to do it, but Sai was just a tad quicker on the draw. "I need to talk to Kakashi-sensei."

"What about Hinata?"

"Let her go, she'll probably follow us anyway, right Hinata-chan?"

"H-hai" was her answer as a lighter blush tinted her cheeks. Sai, with Naruto's arm around his shoulder, started for Kakashi's tent. Hinata made ready to follow when her ears caught the faint sound of a snapping twig. Now, being trained as an expert tracker, she had become familiar with all kinds of sounds. This was a prime example of how a shinobi could easily give away his position. She looked back and saw nothing but the tree covered hillside. Figuring any potential threats could have decent stealth skills she activated her Byakugan. "Hey Hinata-chan, what's the hold up?!" She reflexively turned her vision towards the voice, belonging to Naruto, but kept her Byakugan going. She did find one chakra network about 10 meters off, but with the miniscule amount running through the tenketsu, she let it be, thinking it was a wandering civilian. "Wait up, you guys!" Channeling her chakra to her feet she leapt into the air to close the gap the boys had made.

* * *

The man sighed in relief when he saw the Hyuuga leave elsewhere. Even the most careful ninja make a mistake every now and then. He was lucky that it was only a twig and not a full branch he landed on after jumping down from the tree. While he avoided detection for now, he knew he had to risk it again as his target was on the move. He had a general idea of where they were going. Despite the external injuries from Karui's punches being healed, he was still dizzy enough that he needed to take a breather to regain his balance. One of the med tents that had been set up was the perfect spot. Problem was that there were a lot of them. Construction on a hospital had apparently been put on hold in favor of housing for the throngs of civilians.

But, to make things a tad easier, most of the tents were empty since very few of the ninja involved in the battle had not gotten hurt at all. Now that was a question he would ask later, after he finished his own mission. On his search he stumbled upon another tent that was about twice the size of the others. It meant one of two things if he stepped inside. 1: There would be around a dozen ninja, likely jonin, inside. 2: It was meant for V.I.P.'s and considering the current state of mind of the village, it was possible that his target was in here.

Moving the flap just enough to get a peek he caught sight of 3 women. One, a brunette was wearing a dark, casual style, kimono. The other was in a red top with short tan sleeves and a dark green skirt. What really set her apart was the bright pink hair. The two women, identified as medics, were tending to the third inhabitant. Unlike the other two, she was lying down on a makeshift bed. From his vantage point he could also see that said woman was very pale, and wrinkles decorated her skin.

That's when his inner gears started turning. He took a look out at the monument, at the rightmost face, and went back to the tent. The news of the appointed acting Hokage he had heard already, but he was wondering why it happened at all. Now he knew as he gazed on the still form of Tsunade Senju. His initial reaction upon seeing her almost made him unaware of the brunette giving a small look behind her. He immediately froze in place, and held his breath. All that he could hear were faint whispers before he felt his left arm go numb. _'Shit, that's strike two for me'_ was his only thought before he moved to dodge the pinkette's strike, and it left him open for Shizune to pin him down. Before he could register his capture, his legs joined his arm in painless sleep. Unable to move he was at their mercy. "Which one did you use on him Shizune?"

"#16 so he's not going anywhere for a long time."

"Oh goody at least I won't be dead immediately" he said while rolling his eyes. Sakura finally got a good look at their captive, and despite the missing bandana, recognized him on the spot. "You were the one that killed those 4 ANBU back there!"

"Good to know someone can vouch for me. Now could the lady please remover her knee from my back, those weren't ANBU." Sakura nodded and helped Shizune bring him in the tent. This allowed him to get a closer look at the Godaime. Long story short, it was not pleasant. The two kunoichi set him down on the ground, upright this time, and used his good arm for support. "How long does this stuff last?"

"About five hours, if left untreated. But if you want the antidote you better have a good reason for spying on us" Shizune demanded. The woman was afraid her master, and would-be aunt, was in great danger. Given her comatose state, she was vulnerable to most anything. The man before her was an interesting sight though. Sakura had told her about Danzo's attempted Naruto-napping and couldn't wait to give him a dose of her most potent poison.

At the same time, she was curious about the identity of the intruder who supposedly killed a squad of ANBU in less than 5 seconds. True even kages could fall to genin if they made mistakes, but Root agents are known to be almost completely aware of their surroundings. In groups of 3 or 4, they could do S-Rank missions in a fraction of the usual time. After being given a moment to compose himself the man finally spoke up.

"To me, Danzo is the kind of guy who hates getting his hands dirty unless it benefits him. I don't know what exactly happened here, but to blatantly go after Naruto like that after what he did would be bad. Danzo has finally achieved the title of Hokage and he's not going to do anything rash like this without making his new title permanent." Sakura was amazed at the stranger's insight regarding the elder. It was as if he knew well how he would act…a bit too well in her opinion. "How are you so sure of that? Considering the depth of your answer, you must know Danzo yourself."

"I'm loathe to admit it…but yes I do. We're not on good terms and it they'll only get worse if he finds me here." That was all Shizune needed to hear, and his face told her he wasn't lying. She reached into her kimono and pulled out a small vial. The man made to reach for it but she pulled it back before he could grab it. She still felt something was off about him. "I'm sorry, but the sooner I'm cured, the sooner I can leave."

"What for, if you really met Danzo then how do I know you're not secretly working for him?"

"Do I look like a soulless drone in a mask?"

"It's either that or……you're a missing-nin. Our hunters are trying to eliminate you." The man face palmed and sighed. The two ladies knew it was the latter, but to get Danzo's attention he must've REALLY done something great. But then, Sakura lightly gasped. The man looked to her, seeing her jade orbs on full display. His gut told him what was coming, but he silently prayed that she wasn't about to ask the question he thought she was. "H-how do you know about Naruto?"

Sometimes he hated being right, hopefully his answer would please her. "The whole populace is buzzing about his great victory, how can I not know?" That probably would have appeased them, but the next thing he knew, Shizune had drawn a kunai and looked ready to drive into his head. She had picked up his bluff. Sakura was about to do the same but the man's hand clasped over her arm. "Alright alright, you caught me!"

"How long have you known about Naruto?"

"About as long as the rest of the adults in the village. Before you ask, no I won't explain how because he needs to hear what I have to say before anyone else does. I know I'm a suspicious character right now, but you need to believe me when I say I mean him no harm." The older woman was still unconvinced and moved closer to him. "Even so, how can I be…?"

"Because if I wanted to kill him I would've have done so by now. He just got out of a major battle. His chakra is low. If I was an assassin, Naruto would be dead and I would've be long gone by now." Sakura looked back and forth between the man and Shizune, hoping things wouldn't get messy. It was the last thing they needed right especially with a comatose patient in the same area. Luckily, Shizune believed him and gave him the antidote and in seconds, the man was standing again. "Thank you Shizune, I know you still have questions but they can't be answered now. Sakura was it?" The chunin nodded "I need you to take me to Naruto right now. The quicker I get to him, the quicker you get your answers."

* * *

**A/N:****Wow, this ended up being longer than I initially intended**. **The final tally for the chapter is 8090 words, my longest one to date! I also need to change the rating due to language issues. Anyways, I hope this will appease you NaruHina fans for a while. I think given her recent actions in the manga, if Hinata isn't feeling better about herself then Kishimoto can kiss it. I've wanted to see Hinata's behavior after the fight with Pain and if you don't like it, you have the above to come back to. I said I'd focus more on the couple and this is only the first step. We've barely scratched the tip of the iceberg! See how Naruto reacts to the stranger next time!!! **


	3. Duty Comes First

**A/N: Here I am once again. I won't waste your time and let you get right to reading.**

**Disclaimer:**** if I owned Naruto, Kushina would still be alive X(**

* * *

_**Ch. 2: Duty Comes First**_

Though standing on his own power the stranger still only limped along, his legs still affected by Shizune's poison. The only light given off was from those strung up above their heads as they headed down an underground passage. Shizune immediately called for two legit ANBU before opening the door to the dark hallway right outside. Sakura was following behind the two, ensuring their person of interest didn't try escaping. The man stared at the wall and reached out with his good arm, scraping his fingertips along the earthen surface. Not only was it perfectly smooth, the dirt and stone were tightly packed.

If he wanted to get away this was the perfect opportunity. He had a way to do it. But with only one fully functioning arm and an aware jonin in front of him not to mention his low amount of usable chakra the chance of success, he thought amusedly, was below zero. He turned when he heard the creak of a metal door opening. Sakura gave him a nudge into the connecting room and the door was promptly shut with a loud slam.

"Sakura, take the east tunnel and regroup with your team. Try to make sure the knucklehead doesn't go anywhere please" Shizune ordered. Her charge nodded and left through another door. Once he felt sure enough the girl was out of earshot the man broke his silence.

"I thought the young lady would go to fetch Naruto" he said after swallowing.

"That's not important right now, so please have a seat." The woman pointed to a small table with a chair on either side. A dirty lamp hung from the ceiling by an equally dirty cord and it gave the only light in the room. Nervous, but still unwilling to against someone currently stronger than him, he obliged the medic. Not even 5 seconds after he sat down did the door open again. In walks what the stranger describes as an ancient statue given life. His grey uniform was only slightly more visible than his black trench coat. With his hands in his pockets the only skin he could see was his face and he could easily define the two scars that sloped down on the left side.

His instincts were suddenly screaming for him to move. This man towering above him was letting out an unpleasant aura matched by his snide grin. As he stood up, a pair of hands grabbed his shoulders and shoved him back down. He then felt something wrap around his wrists and quickly bind them behind the chair. Grunting in minor pain he could still feel the rope moving slightly even after his arms were secured. The stranger looked up again and saw the other chair now occupied. The man occupying it wore a navy blue bandana, the leaf symbol etched into the metal plate on his forehead.

"Hello stranger, my name is Ibiki Morino. How about we have a little chat?" The gravity of the situation finally hit him. Being led down an underground path to dark and dimly lit room only to be tied to a chair and an evil looking man smiling at him? He immediately knew he had been tricked by the two female medics. His only thought was simple.

'_Why the hell __**am**__ I surprised?_'

* * *

Yamato's reaction to the dizzy Naruto was a mix of confusion and annoyance. Kakashi had just returned from a short discussion with Sai, no doubt to confirm why one of Danzo's hand-picked men would go so far out of character from most other agents. But, now they at least know how he keeps his actions off the radar. If only the Yondaime were still here he might've been able to set him free. However, the matter at hand was his other present company. Naruto had explained his encounter with the two visiting shinobi, hence his initial reaction. Though he admitted to himself that he wanted to see Sakura's reaction if Hinata had not stepped in to defend him. He also seemed to notice the girl was oddly close to his part-time student. It seems that some rumors he had heard about the Hyuuga heiress were no longer true, not that he'd tell her that.

"I need to talk to the Raikage!" the blonde suddenly declared. If Naruto had been able to prove anything about himself it was that his good intentions were often ludicrous. Everyone in the room had different views on the idea. Kakashi's brow lifted up a bit, Yamato was now completely annoyed, and Hinata was shocked. Though it didn't bother her as much as it did in the past, to forget an attempted kidnapping was not easy.

"The kages are meeting soon. Even if you could get his attention, what do you expect to accomplish?" Yamato asked.

"I'm going to convince him to pardon Sasuke" Naruto said. The master of wood was quick to voice his disagreement on the matter. Kakashi shook his head, somehow expecting Naruto to make such a declaration. Sai and Hinata, however, had a similar train of thought. Both were concerned for his safety in their own way, whether it was a desire to keep him out of danger, or not simply understanding why he would put himself through so much suffering. Yet, he kept his composure as he said "I met the Yondaime" and silenced the whole tent "He's the one that stopped the full transformation" he said.

"B-but how, does that mean the Yondaime is…"

"Well Yamato, not much is known about the Shiki Fuin. He must've sealed away some of his energy along with the fox" Kakashi added. He always knew his sensei was capable of amazing things. It was little surprise that a man who could figure out a method of instantaneous transportation could manipulate a complex seal to such a degree. But, the jonin didn't dawdle as it seemed Naruto wasn't finished.

"He also said that masked guy was behind the fox attack on the village, and that not even he could do anything about it." Both Kakashi and Yamato went suddenly stiff. "He also said that he's behind everything, he was just using Pein. If Sasuke has joined Akatsuki he's probably using him too" Naruto explained. Kakashi's thoughts turned grim. Though he was suspicious of who this masked stranger was, when they met in the forest, he was sure he possessed a Sharingan eye. Thus, there was only one possible conclusion.

"I hoped it wouldn't come to this, but it's just as Jiraya feared, Madara."

"Well that's perfect. When it comes to that guy I'll believe most anything. Even the fact he's still alive" Yamato replied. Even Naruto recognized the name. It was a few months ago but the image of Sasuke was still burned in his eyes. How he easily stood against Kyuubi and drove him back. But he didn't think much of his side comment until now.

'_**Your eyes…that dark chakra…just like Madara Uchiha'**_ now echoed inside him. Plus, a group of foreign ninja had recently told him that his former comrade had joined Akatsuki. If they were moving onto the Hachibi, it likely meant that the other seven were now a lost cause. But it was the fact that it was Sasuke that made this move that still burned him inside. Orochimaru was bad enough and even then Naruto remained steadfast to his promise to Sakura. Was the Uchiha finally beyond redemption? Hinata squeezing his hand stopped his thoughts for the moment.

"You w-were spacing out, are you okay Naruto-kun?"

"Huh…oh yeah guess that girl hit me harder than I thought. Who's this Madara guy anyway?"

"The founder of the Uchiha clan, and a traitor worse than Orochimaru" Kakashi grimly answered. "He helped found Konoha along side Hashirama Senju, our First Hokage. But he steadily grew jealous of his rival's status and was killed in their eventual battle. At least, that's how the academy tells it." Naruto listened intently to his sensei's words. If this man was behind the whole shebang of capturing the biju then it meant he had his own use for them aside from Pein's. What it was he had no clue but he was getting sidetracked. His focus now was finding the Raikage. He knew that his chances of convincing him were almost nonexistent but he'd get nowhere if he didn't try anyway.

"Then why are we just sitting here? Let's move and find the Raikage!" Yamato's irritation grew again.

"Hold a just a minute Naruto do I need to remind you that you went to 8 tails just a moment ago? There's no way you should…"

"Okay then, let's go" Kakashi finished.

"Yes, you rock Kakashi-sensei!" Yamato sighed, giving up. He just knew this would lead to even more trouble. Hell, Naruto would probably ask that the Hyuuga could join them. Kumo would love him for that. "Hey can Hinata-chan come with us?" Sometimes he hated being right.

"Good I'm not too late then." Everyone in the tent turned to the new voice, one that belonged to Shikaku Nara. "If you're planning to head out to the Kage Summit you better do it now."

* * *

"You're pretty smart to approach the village now. With everyone so distracted with rebuilding it must have been easy to slip by unnoticed" Ibiki taunted. "But that's beside the point so why don't we start things off?" Making a directing motion with his finger the unnamed man felt hands remove his bandana and sunglasses. He flinched only for a moment as his eyes adjusted to the nearby light. Ibiki's grin sharpened as he finally put a face to the man before him.

A short beard covered the lower half of his face from his cheeks to all the way underneath his jaw. His hair, matted down from the bandana and having not been washed for days, was a dull blonde. It too needed work as his bangs had started creeping past the top edge of his eyebrows. The tops of his ears had also been obscured as it locks fell evenly around his head, the back stopping just below the top edge of his neck. The stranger blew a few strands from his eyes.

"If you wanted me to take those off you could've asked"

"True, but something tells me you'll need every ounce of energy you can get. Then again, you might not need any at all if you cooperate" Ibiki continued. His prisoner only sighed.

"I'm not sure what you expecting from me. I don't think I'm all that special since I'm not in any Bingo Book."

"You're special enough that you can kill a team of chunin. Besides, I like starting from scratch and before the day is over I _will_ have all I need from you" the interrogator chuckled. The stranger didn't miss the real intention behind his words. He swallowed the small lump in his throat and fidgeted in his chair, the binds around his hands still moving.

"Uncomfortable? Get used to it and trust me, it will only get worse unless you start singing" Ibiki barked as he stood out of his chair and moved behind him. All he heard was his fingers snapping before sharp fangs pierced his right shoulder. Giving a quick, but loud cry of pain he looked at his and found another set of eyes staring back. The long slits that were in place of pupils, not to mention its incessant hissing identified the creature as a decently sized snake. That solved the mystery of the moving ropes.

He grunted as a very large, but gloved hand came down on his shoulder, right over where he was bitten. Patting it twice he finally saw Ibiki sit back down in front of him. Lacing his fingers together the master of the mind stared as his captive's now slightly glossy eyes.

"Don't fret too much, you weren't injected with poison. My associate has come up with a rather interesting breed of snakes. In place of venom is a truth serum. Right now it has latched onto the pile of mush that is your brain. I'll make the rest of it simple, either you give us the full truth or else. If any single fiber of you lies…let's just say you won't find it pleasant." Whether it was the fact that Ibiki's twisted smirk never left his face while speaking, or the dull ache that was now spreading through his body, the stranger knew immediately what position he was in.

"Isn't t-this a bit much?" The scarred man started laughing at his question.

"HA you got a nice sense of humor on you kid so I'll make the first one easy. Where do you live?" Yeah, a question like that was as easy as grinding a boulder to dust, with your bare hands, and no chakra or earth affinity. The stranger wasn't able to respond before the first wave of pain hit him. It lasted only a couple of seconds, but it still hurt like hell, and the bastard in front of him never stopped smiling! He steadied his breathing for a moment and answered.

"Tsuchi-no-K-Kuni…I came from Iwagakure…" In a flash, Ibiki's humor was gone. How had someone from Iwa gotten here so quickly? He immediately called for an ANBU. "I don't care where she is you need to get Anko back here right now. Tell her we're at risk of an avalanche."

* * *

"Are you going somewhere Naruto?" asked a confused Sakura. She had finally located her headstrong teammate only to find him garbed in a familiar cloak, the one the joint team used on their failed mission to locate Itachi. That's also when she took notice of the two injured ANBU off to the side. Her medical instincts would have overridden her inquiry had Kakashi not halted her.

"Don't bother with those two. It seems our acting Hokage put a watch on Naruto. They had to be dealt with before we went anywhere."

"Yeah thanks for the assist Hinata, you to Konohamaru" Naruto added. The young heiress had used her Byakugan when Kakashi said to scout for any possible obstacles within the village. Luckily it was only 2 Root soldiers who had their focus completely on Naruto and his young protégé.

"The three of us are heading into the Land of Iron Sakura' Yamato said pointing to himself, Naruto, and his superior. 'The Five Kage are gathering to discuss Akatsuki. Shikaku has also informed us that Danzo is currently preoccupied with other matters. This is the best chance for fair talks with the other villages."

"Yeah, and I need to talk with the Raikage about Sasuke" Naruto added.

"About what exactly?" wondered the pinkette.

"I'm going to try to have him pardon the teme." Sakura barely suppressed a gasp.

"I still think you're expecting way too much Naruto" Yamato said. This development shifted Sakura's plans. She wanted to inform him about who she and Shizune found a little while back. But leave it to Naruto to take advantage of out-of-the-blue opportunities like this. The promise of a lifetime is what he called it years ago, and it warmed her heart to know he hadn't forgotten. Yet, for the first time since that day, Sakura found herself unable to give her full support. Revelations provided from the Kumo team stalled her drive. Allying with a village traitor could not be ignored, but joining Akatsuki? The very same organization his now deceased brother was a part of? In spite of this, Sakura's hope for redemption never left despite the nauseous pit growing in her stomach.

"Hey Sakura-chan, you alive in there?" Her trance had been broken by Naruto's voice.

"Huh…oh y-yeah I just…can't stop hearing what those guys from Kumo told us" she almost whispered.

"Bah, forget those guys, I've got it covered. Promise of a life time Sakura-chan." There it was again, those very same words. Spoken with such confidence it felt like there was no way he would fail. However, many months before, that's exactly what had happened. She wanted to believe it and just set this gnawing concern aside, but doubt refused to leave her alone. Torn between the truth and her feelings she wanted to cry.

"Naruto, I think…" she hesitated, unsure of what she wanted to convey.

"Think what?"

"It's best we get moving Naruto. We don't know how long Danzo will be kept busy" Kakashi interrupted.

"Damn, you're right, sorry Sakura-chan."

"Don't worry, I'll tell you later" she exhaled, sounding relieved. The trio jumped into the tree line and vanished from sight and sound within seconds. Sakura remained in place, barely acknowledging Konohamaru's departure. She was sure that Hinata was right behind him as well. She was alone, alone with her slowly descending spirit. The ambient noise of the village seemed louder than usual. It was too loud, she needed quiet. The medic needed somewhere to think, a place to calm her racing mind. But she couldn't actually leave the village. Tsunade could wake up at any moment. Also she couldn't change her mind and catch up with Naruto either, it could make her a missing-nin if the wrong person found out. The noise grew louder still. It wouldn't go away. Why wouldn't it stop?

'_What do I do now?'_

"…kur…"

'_Is there anything I can do?'_

"…Sak…a…you…lri"

'_Why am I so weak?'_

"SAKURA!" Her eyes opened fully and she turned to who shouted. It was Hinata, who apparently had never left. Her vision was slightly blurred but she could tell because she had moved right next to her.

"Hin-nata, what's wrong?" she stuttered

"I think that's my line Sakura" the heiress calmly spoke.

"What, nothing's wrong, I'm fine" she said wiping her face. She was in full blown denial and Hinata knew it. Even without the Byakugan she could tell that her short discussion with her team had upset her. She had a good guess as to why but Hinata was unsure whether or not to bring it up. But she also knew that Naruto would not leave her in such a mess. His desire to help those precious to him was one of things she loved about the idiot. But the unexpected arrival of Sai shifted her attention.

"Where is Naruto, I've been all over the village perimeter and did not sense him."

"H-he just left with Yamato a-and Kakashi-sensei" Hinata answered.

"Why, where is he going?" he asked somewhat sternly.

"The Land of Iron, probably to the Kage Summit" Sakura responded. Facing her newest teammate she had trouble believing that his worried face was real.

"To try and save Sasuke right?"

"Y-yes, he…"

"When is it going to stop Sakura?" Both girls, Sakura especially, were stunned at the harsh tone behind his question. In the short time they knew the boy his emotional range was blank as clean paper. Now he looked somewhere between frustrated and mad. "Every time Naruto mentions him, I can feel this heat coming from his gut. I'm not entirely sure what to call it but I can tell deep down that this…obsession is hurting him!"

_'Damn it Sai, why did you have to open up now?'_ thought the pinkette. Her enigma of a teammate couldn't have picked a worse time.

"I know that he loves you Sakura but his continued effort will only cause him more pain!"

"Sai, p-please, she has enough to think about" Hinata said in her defense but the rogue double agent continued to rant.

"Don't you get it Sakura? Through his promise, you force him to suffer!" That was the end of it. The young medic could not hear anything beyond his last few words. Losing strength in her legs, she fell to her knees, and started crying once again.

* * *

"You seriously called me back for this bum? What the hell you scratching post, he looks like he just got off a garbage barge! I think he smells like it too." Suffice to say, Anko was pissed. A new team was ready to move out and resume the search for Kabuto and she gets an emergency call at the last second. The others were not given any order to wait so they likely had already left the village perimeter.

"Quit your bitching Anko. I know you saw what happened to those fake ROOT drones earlier. According to Haruno-san's report this is the same guy so we know he's got some skill." That was the frustrating part of the matter. Tensions never really ceased between the two opposing factions so it was no wonder that Ibiki was on edge. They always kept an eye or an ear open for possible spies within the walls, but they needed both when it came to Iwa.

"Alright, what's the issue, not cooperative, too cooperative, has got a cyanide pill hidden somewhere?"

"That's just it, I'm not entirely sure." Ibiki turned to face the one way window looking into the interrogation chamber. There was the culprit slouching in his seat, his eyes downcast as they stared at the tabletop. "I've dealt with plenty of 'hard rocks' over the years. He doesn't fit any of the profiles we've made, well not completely anyway."

"When did you figure out he's an 'earth lover'?" Anko asked.

"I didn't, he told me after I asked him. Also, it's the only question I've asked so far." Anko gave an incredulous look at her fellow interrogator.

"He spilled that quickly and he wasn't lying?" The large man nodded and handed her an empty vial. Anko scanned the label at the top. The multi digit number though fading was still legible. She heaved a sigh, knowing what had been administered. "What do you need to know?"

"Honestly, anything at all relevant to the case, so go nuts." Anko gave a small smile at that. She loved to go free reign over a prisoner. Often gave her a chance to vent her frustrations and not get in trouble for it. Knowing her direction she opened the door, a practically strutted into the room. Deciding to start slow she pulled out the chair and lay back, putting her feet on the table. This position, being nearly parallel with the flat surface, allowed her victims to get an eyeful when she let her coat fall over the back of the chair. This one was no different as a faint blush appeared across his face before he looked away.

"Aw don't be like that, I don't bite" she cooed

"Bullshit…" the man replied, still looking away. Anko clicked her tongue and gave a pout.

"You're no fun, and I thought we could get to know each other better" she whined turning to face him. The man also turned his head now that the show was over.

"What is this, an interrogation or speed dating?" The man was plenty irritated, that much was clear. Anko's expression also flattened. It was clear this one would not buy any more acting on her part. She'd have to get Ibiki back twice over now, one for ruining her fun before she got here, and two for making her miss out on the search party.

"Fine, we'll play it your way then." She snapped her fingers and the man immediately felt his bonds moving again. The same snake that had bitten him unraveled from his wrists and moved to join its master. Squirming in his chair he felt something still binding his arms together. But at least those didn't move unlike the reptile now coiling itself around his new interrogator's neck. He watched as her hand moved out and scratch its bottom jaw. "I'll be perfectly frank, you are cooperating thus far so let us see how far it goes."

More noise began filling the cramped space. A chorus of hissing echoed off the walls and into their ears. Still under the effects of the serum the stranger winced. The dull ache he felt since being bitten seemed to strengthen an already annoying headache. Within seconds, 5 more snakes, each of the same length and color, were occupying the table. He only prayed that they were not a venomous species. "I know my little cocktail is still running through you so let me show you what happens if you hold out."

"W-wait, these are your GHAAAH!" Anko didn't wait for him to finish and sent one of the new snakes on him. Though she wasn't proud of using one of her old master's creations their longer fangs and venom that burned any open wound certainly did the job. His staggering breathing grew heavy as he twitched and groaned unable to heal himself. Only then did an ANBU come out from the darkness and sprayed the fresh bite on his arm with some clear solution. The man grunted as it stung the area, but felt a huge wave of relief soon after. The stranger moved his head upward to gaze at the kunoichi before him. His eyes were open wide and his lip quivered as she glared at him.

This was what a face looked like painted with fear. Anko had seen it so many times before and it never ceased to amaze her. The moment where hopelessness began to settle as a prisoner fought with himself to either stay quiet and die slowly, or spill your guts only then to end up on the executioner's block. Her face adorned a toothy sneer as she stood up. She then noticed a small twinkle near the corner of his eye as his head lowered itself again.

"What's the matter cry baby, can't take a little bite?" she chuckled.

"W-wh-why…y-you…" he stuttered.

"You landed yourself here buddy don't get sore at me."

"Why…did it have to be _you_?" he cried. Though he couldn't see it for himself, Anko was stunned at how he sounded almost composed. The man gave a grunt as he steadied his breathing, his head rising again. His brow was creased painting a quite angry looking image on his face. Anko felt a brief shiver trail down her back because he was looking straight into her eyes. Of course she didn't physically show any reaction she had too much experience dealing with crazies to let a heated glare bring her down.

"Oh, doth my reputation precede me?" she spoke.

"Anko Mitarashi, apprentice of the _**Byakuhebi no Sanin**_ Orochimaru…" he growled, eyes not leaving hers "…believe me, you wish your reputation was all that's preceding you!"

"Good, then we're on the same page."

"No we're not" he announced shaking his head. On the outside of the room, Ibiki was starting to get nervous. He had full faith in Anko's methods but now he wasn't sure what to expect. The way this intruder was talking suggested some kind of past between the two, likely one beyond professional. Couple it with the fact that he was in quite a staring contest with one of his best people also hinted the possible coming of something big. Maybe that was why he was still hesitant to interfere with the bickering pair. Nevertheless he continued to listen.

"What am I being charged with?" the stranger asked.

"To start, conspiracy to kidnap a Konoha shinobi, one Naruto Uzumaki to be precise" Anko continued, not breaking her gaze.

"Did the pinky tell you that I ended up saving the gaki from those who were _really_ attempting abduction?"

"So you don't deny killing the unknown team" she quickly interjected.

"No I don't, but I think we're getting off topic and AAAAH!" Anko launched another snake to cut him off. She hated it when someone tried to wrest control from her hands. Despite the interruption his stare was broken for only a moment. Hell he didn't even wait for the antidote before reopening his eyes. "Know your place meat-stick! I suggest you behave you self or the next one goes right for your eye!" He didn't speak, he didn't move, not even a twitch. Still as stone he waited for the next verbal volley. Anko took in a deep breath to calm herself. She hadn't lost this one yet and she didn't plan to. She will admit that this disheveled individual had balls though but that's beside the point.

She took 3 steps closer to the bound mystery man, his head moving up to match her leer. The moment she readied her next question her eyes noticed something new. She was now close enough to see a small rope around the back of his neck. She reached out her hand to grasp it risking him trying to bite off her finger. As if he knew what she was going for, he twisted his head to the side to giver an opening. Suppressing the cursed urge to slit his throat she hooked her right pointer on the tough, packed fiber. Moving her finger down his chest something eventually came from the top of his shirt, a pendant. A strangely familiar pendant.

Déjà vu had struck big time as Anko used her other hand to grip her own accessory and then it hit her. _His pendant was an exact match for hers!_

"The twins are reunited at last" the man spoke flatly. She dropped both pieces and within seconds had toppled him onto his back with no less than 7 snakes poised at his throat, and kunai in her grip.

"Who are you?" she shouted in rage.

"Hey Ibiki, was it, you might want to remove her. She's become emotionally compromised" the man taunted looking at the reflective glass on the other side of the room.

"Shut up, I asked you a question! Who are you and who sent you?" The man looked up at her, past the snakes, his brow evening out. A pit started growing in Anko's core. His own frustration was now gone.

"You seriously don't recognize me? With the beard I've been told I look like my father. I sent myself here, but now it seems there is no point to it anymore."

"No point to what, trying to off me? Orochimaru's dandruff has made better lies!"

"Has it now? Isn't your little 'cocktail' as you put it still in effect? If I was lying why am I not writhing in agony?" Anko grew more nauseous as the seconds ticked by. He was right, the truth serum lasts for 12 hours and they were nowhere near half that. She knew Ibiki had moved back in when she heard the door slam shut and, without realizing, two more snakes appeared directed at him.

"Anko, you need to calm down" he said not taking his eyes off the two cobras flaying their heads. She did not acknowledge his command. Her nerves were fast becoming unbearable. If something didn't happen soon, she would kill this man, with extreme prejudice, whether he was tied to Orochimaru or not.

"My name is Takuyo Kataimei. Been some time hasn't it Anko-chan?"

* * *

Honestly Sakura felt like she was back in her 12 year old self. Everything and everyone around her moving forward while she stayed the same. Were the years of training with Tsunade pointless? No, they couldn't be, she had learned so much. The physical conditioning, applying healing techniques, and all those books had clearly helped her grow.

_'Maybe it's just not enough'_ the apprentice medic thought. Once her tears had been sufficiently drained she secluded herself in the one spot she wouldn't be bothered. Too bad Tsunade was in no position to carry a conversation. The best that could be done was to keep up with her IV drip and hope for the best. The crinkling of the tent's entrance reached her ears but she remained still hoping whoever it was would give her some peace.

"Hinata was right, you are a mess." No such luck would be bestowed on her though. But Sakura wasn't going to tell her fellow apprentice to leave. Shizune had as much right to be here as she did.

"I was always taught that a good shinobi never shows emotion" Sakura said flatly.

"Maybe, but I believe the great ones find real strength with them" Shizune added, kneeling next to master's second student. "It's what kept me by her side for so long. Every day I hoped she'd start healing from her losses while on the road no matter how pointless it seemed. Naruto finally made it a reality. His drive inspires those around him to move forward."

"Fat lot of good it does me. I can't even help him now." Shizune was thankful that Sakura was so out of touch. It made clocking her on the head so easy. "Ow…what the hell was that for?"

"If you have time to complain, you have time to get stronger."

"But I…"

"But nothing Sakura, this melancholy you're in won't help you. The truth is hard but I know you have overcome such things in the past, so what's holding you back now?" The pinkette was thankful her tear ducts were dry or they might have started flowing again. She already knew the answer but for some reason was afraid to admit it. Two factions, one foreign, and one 'almost' friendly had dragged her down already today. Shizune was one of the last people she wanted to look weak and pathetic in front of.

_**'Like you're not acting weak and pathetic already' **_echoed a voice in her head. One she had not heard in many a moon. Now it all suddenly made sense though a part of her refused to believe it. Maybe you really are your own worst enemy. "I…I think Sai was right." Shizune perked up at finally hearing her voice. "Three years ago, I was on my knees begging Naruto to save Sasuke because I loved him. I guess a part of me still does. But everything those Kumo ninja said turned it all upside down, but Naruto…h-he's still trying even though he was hurt by their words as well. He still wants to keep his promise to me, but now I'm scared."

"Scared of what exactly?"

"That he may be killed because of me. Damn, now I _know_ Sai is right! Shizune, I don't want him to get hurt anymore I…I…"

"You love him too" Shizune finished. Sakura couldn't look her in the eye. She was so close to finally coming to grips with herself, but she had been found out before she could. "Believe me Sakura, you're not the only one. I know for a fact Tsunade and I love him too."

"But how…w-what about Hinata?" The older woman giggled at her naiveté.

"You can love someone without being in love with them Sakura. You already know the effect the knucklehead has on other people, especially his enemies." Now Sakura felt like smacking herself for a change. Her senior was right, her inner self was right. She did love the idiot and she wondered why she doubted that. Like Shizune had said, he had given her the drive to get stronger. All she needed was to get back in her stride. First she needed to tell Naruto the truth, preferably sooner rather than later. Having gotten her bearings she finally noticed the object occupying Shizune's arm.

"What's with the folder Shizune?"

"Oh right, I thought you might want to know about our guest down below." Shizune set the folder on the ground and opened it. Sakura recognized it as a ninja personnel file, an older one too given the format. "His name is Takuyo Kataimei, a former genin of our ninja staff. He had been accused of treason on the grounds of espionage for Iwagakure. It also lists that he had been killed when he fled the country."

"What was the evidence supporting the charges?" Sakura asked.

"Nothing more than the testimony of anonymous witnesses, but apparently it was enough for the Sandaime. Both he and Danzo signed off on it."

"What did these witnesses say?"

"That he had acquired high level intel." Sakura waited for Shizune to continue her explanation, but soon realized there was nothing left to add.

"Wait, that's it? Just a bunch of hearsay and the Hokage orders an execution? That doesn't sound right. The Sandaime always seemed like such a nice man."

"Exactly Sakura, but look at the date of the order." Sakura complied and moved the file over. There on the paper in plain, if slightly faded ink was a time stamp: November 15th, 16 years ago, just over a month after the Kyuubi attack. Sakura did not repress her surprise at the info.

"Do you think…he knows about the fox being sealed in Naruto?"

"My gut tells me he knows much more than that. We were able to claim at least one of the bodies of the ninja he killed. It was identified as a shinobi from the long defunct _Hayashi no Kuni_ (Wood Country). Their destruction was one of the last legitimate acts committed by Root."

"Thanks for answering, that's been bugging me since I first arrived" said a third voice. The two ladies spun around to find the subject of their discussion standing inside the tent. Shizune had to stop herself from launching a clip of her poisoned senbon. Having Takuyo standing before them, without major injury, meant one of two things. Option 1: He had engineered his escape and likely left at least one ninja incapacitated or worse. However given how little chakra she sensed from him when she led him underground, she knew such a feat was impossible. Miles of compacted earth not to mention a few teams of chunin and higher ninja, he would've been a smear in moments. That only left the more unlikely option 2: he had been released and as a result, was not a 'present' threat to the village populace. Couple that with the new conclusions she and Sakura were nearing she now had her own questions.

Sakura's thoughts were similar to her superior's, but she kept her focus on their guest. Now that he wasn't wearing anything on his head she could tell that he really needed a shower. There was also the way he dragged his feet as he moved closer. Then again, most anyone who came out of interrogation probably looked like this. After watching him slump down on one knee she took action.

"Remove your coat, take off your shirt and lie down" Sakura said matter-of-factly. Were he in a joking mood Takuyo would've made a flirty comment. But he wasn't so he quietly complied. Grateful at having been given practical experience in the hospital, Sakura did not even bat an eyelash at the trails of dried blood on his torso. Anko must have let him have it. Drawing on her memory of Kankuro's treatment, she quickly identified the foreign substances in his body. However, finding where the largest concentration of the venom was gave her pause.

"You have a fair amount of some kind of unknown agent attached to your brain. I can't remove it without doing damage."

"That's okay, ol' Scarface said that this 'truth serum' only lasts half a day. I still have quite a ways to go before that happens." Sakura took note of two words in his reply. Looking at Shizune, a plan formed in her head. The older medic only gave a brief nod, already understanding what she wanted. Now focusing her efforts on healing the physical bite marks, Sakura turned back to Takuyo.

"You used to be one of us" she said.

"Found my file huh? I'm surprised you still have it." Takuyo sighed. He had hoped that now he was back in daylight that he could get a little rest. Oh well, no rest for the weary shinobi and all that jazz. "I'm not going to leave unless I answer your questions am I?" He looked to Sakura and then to Shizune. Their faces did not change at all. "Okay fine, just don't beat around the bush." Closing the file, Shizune moved closer.

"You were reported dead 36 days after the Kyuubi attack on the village. How much do you know about it?"

"About as much as everyone knows now, probably more."

"What can you tell us then?" Shizune asked

"Not much without breaking a few major laws. Then again, I'm not currently a Konoha shinobi so I guess they don't apply." Takuyo moved his arm to his discarded shirt. From beneath the fabric he pulled out his pendant. Gripping each end with one hand, the wood carving split in half with pop. Taking the piece not attached to the rope, he handed it to Sakura, who had just finished her treatment. "There is a small storage seal carved out of the wood. One of the items is a photograph. Look at it for while and that should hopefully answer most of your questions."

Twisting the object in her fingers, Sakura eventually found the carved seal. She pressed in lightly into her palm and released a minute amount of chakra. Another pop, with accompanying puff of white smoke, and in her hand was the aforementioned image. Six people, 4 adults and two kids, were gathered in the center. Of the group, two were blonde, but one of them stood out.

"I'll go ahead and tell you that the little blonde boy is me" Takuyo added. Sakura's eyes widened as she handed the photo to Shizune. She joined her fellow medic in her surprise. How did this man know their Yondaime Hokage?

* * *

**A/N: I won't mince words with you. This took me a loooooong time to complete. My job hunt and lack of laptop were the two major factors. My old ThinkPad had a hard drive failure in the middle of October Snowstorm blackout in CT. I only just got a new one a couple months ago. Nevertheless, I'm happy to update at all. I'll admit that the manga at times comes across as bad, but I would not be fan if I still didn't enjoy it. Now to start work on the next chapter...**

**If you see any spelling or grammar errors, PM me please**


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